This exciting itinerary allows us to experience the incredible diversity of Madagascar, predominantly on foot. We trek in Andringitra National Park, one of the most beautiful and biodiverse parks on the island, and in Isalo National Park with its unique landscape of rock formations, deep canyons, waterfalls and natural swimming pools. We go in search of lemurs in Anja Reserve and visit Ranomafana National Park, walking through spectacular scenery in the hope of spotting lemurs and sifakas. Throughout the trip, the unique wildlife of this island will enchant and amaze.

Walk profile

Daily distance in km/miles:

Day 2

2.0km/1.2miles

Day 3

13.0km/8.1miles

Day 5

15.0km/9.3miles

Day 6

9.0km/5.6miles

Day 7

13.0km/8.1miles

Day 8

7.0km/4.3miles

Day 10

7.0km/4.3miles

Day 11

8.0km/5.0miles

Number of days walking: 8

Pace: Moderate/Challenging : Approximately 5-7 hours walking per day

Terrain: Low altitude; good paths with some steep ascents

Itinerary

We take a morning walk to the upper part of Antananarivo, ascending to Antaninareina (the commercial and administrative part of town) and walking to the main entrance of the Queen's palace, with outstanding views over Tana. In the afternoon we drive to Ambositra, where we have the chance to visit some Zafimaniry handicraft centres.See more images and videos

A full day walking to Antoetra allowing us to discover and explore the Zafimaniry villages. The Zafimaniry people are renowned for their woodcarvings; in their villages, even the houses are works of art! In 2003, the Zafimaniry people and their work with wood were considered to be masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity, a list maintained by UNESCO to protect and preserve their way of life. We will walk through habituated areas - through rice fields, hills and small villages, following regular paths used by locals. The walk is approximately 8 hours in total. After the walk, we drive back to Ambositra.See more images and videos

4Day 4Transfer to Ranomafana N.P.

Today we head south and east to the well visited national park of Ranomafana. The drive takes us through spectacular scenery, past neat Betsileo rice paddies and thick forests. We reach our destination in the afternoon and after some time to rest at the hotel, we take an evening walk along the roadside of Ranomafana to spot nocturnal wildlife.See more images and videos

5Day 5Morning visit to Ranomafana N.P.; transfer to Ambalavao in the afternoon.

In the morning we visit Ranomafana National park - a mountainous rainforest park with elevations ranging from 600m to 1400m that contains many different forest types (from lowland rainforest to cloud forest and high plateau forest), and provides opportunity to see various species of lemurs (Golden bamboo lemurs, Greater and Lesser bamboo lemurs, Red-bellied lemurs, Red-fronted lemurs, Mile Edward’s Sifaka) as well as birds, frogs, reptiles, snails and orchids. In the afternoon, we drive to Ambalavao, the commercial centre of the southern Betsileo region, renowned for its folk art and crafts. Whilst here we also visit a wine farm and also take the opportunity to learn about the production of the Antemoro-paper: a paper which is produced from the bark of the Havoha-tree.See more images and videos

Early transfer to Andringitra National Park - one of the most beautiful and biodiverse parks in Madagascar. Andringitra National Park has been managed by the WWF since 1993, and has three distinct eco-zones: low altitude rainforest, montane rainforest and high altitude vegetation. Although Andringitra contains diverse wildlife (over 100 bird species, 50 mammal species, including 13 lemurs types, and 55 species of frogs), the prime reason for visiting is for the stunning landscape, vegetation and superb trekking. More than 1000 plant species are known to exist in this national park alone, and the guides are highly knowledgeable on the plants contained within the park and their medicinal uses. In the morning we visit two famous waterfalls: 'Riandahy' and 'Raimbavy' and then we begin our trek to reach the second highest peak in Madagascar, Peak Boby. Peak Boby is also known as 'Pic d'Imarivolanitra' which means 'close to the sky'. The trek begins in forest which slowly becomes replaced by alpine meadows covered with orchids by the end of the rainy season. Leaving the forest we ascend a steep path which arrives onto the Andohariana plateau, climbing higher behind granite mountain tops. As we walk through the high montane vegetation we reach a natural pool, which offers a freezing but very refreshing swim! After approximately 6 hours of walking, we camp at Anderamposty (2100m)See more images and videos

7Day 7Second day of trekking in Andringitra N.P.

The longest day of treks, we begin our climb to the summit of Peak Boby early, to avoid climbing in the full heat of the day. This is a day to keep your camera handy as the trek climbs higher, giving unrivalled views and superb high-altitude flora. Although this is the highest accessible peak in Madagascar, it is a technically easy ascent up carved steps, and we should reach the summit after about 2 hours. We descend the same route back to our campsite where we have a chance to relax by the river while our lunch is prepared. After lunch, we head out through moon-like landscapes, granite cliffs and a forest of palm trees known as Gloka, on our way to our campsite. After approximately 6 hours of walking we camp at Iantaranomby (1650m).See more images and videos

8Day 8Final day of trekking in Andringitra N.P.

Today we have our final day of walking in Andringitra National Park. After breakfast we leave the mountains, exploring some of the villages on foot. With the decreasing altitude, we pass by many forms of succulent plants, such as the Pachypodium (looking like a mini baobab tree), Euphorbia and through savannah landscape. After approximately 4 hours, we camp at Meva Campsite in Tsaranoro Valley (900m).See more images and videos

We drive to the little town of Ranohira today, which is the base for visiting Isalo National Park. Along the way we visit the small reserve of Anja, where Katta (otherwise known as Ring-tailed) lemurs can be observed in their natural surroundings.See more images and videos

10Day 10First day of a two-day trek in Isalo N.P.

One of the highlights of the trip, as we spend two days exploring Isalo National Park. Isalo is a vast region of wind-polished and water-scoured rock towers, deep canyons, gorges and oases, often described as Eden. During our time we will go walking in the magnificent Canyon of Makis in search of cheeky Ring-tailed lemurs and the Verreaux Sifaka. We also visit the 'Piscine Naturelle' (natural swimming pool), a beautifully lush spot in such an arid landscape, where we can swim and relax. Perhaps the magic is just to soak up the sheer beauty of the park. The combination of coloured, eroded rock formations, strange plants and the enveloping silence make this one of the most captivating places in Africa.See more images and videos

We drive to Tulear, among the dry forests of the west and the spiny desert of the south, and we pass both the 'Mahafaly tombs' and the 'Antandroy tombs', briefly observing their ornate decorations. Antandroy and Mahafaly are reputed to be the most impressive of all Malagasy tombs, with the Antandroy tombs being large and brightly painted, relating to the life story and wishes of the deceased. They are also topped with zebu skulls which were sacrificed during the funeral festivity - a ceremony of great significance. Mahafaly tombs are characterized by their wooden sculptures known as 'Aloalo', relating to the life of the deceased and their unfulfilled dreams, as well as their rank within the clan. After a brief stop in Tulear, we continue to the coastal town of Ifaty.See more images and videos

13Day 13Free time for relaxation or optional activities at Ifaty beach.

Today we have a free day in Ifaty. Running all the way around the south-west Malagasy coastline, Ifaty lies on one of the world's largest barrier reefs and hence is an excellent venue for scuba diving. Between late June and early September, whales can be observed off Ifaty's beautiful white beaches and the offshore islet of Nosy Ve is a terrific place for snorkelling. Protected by coral reefs, the beach and waters beyond the hotel offer a welcome rest from your trekking itinerary for those who wish just to relax.See more images and videos

Your images

Adult Group

This is a small group adult holiday. The group is usually between 4 and 16 in size, with an average of 12 like-minded clients booking individually, in a couple or as friends together.

Activity level

You are moderately fit and have an interest in remote or challenging environments. Some previous experience is required for activity based trips.

What's included

What's included

All breakfasts, 5 lunches and 5 dinners

All accommodation (see below)

All transport and listed activities

Tour leader throughout

Flights from London (if booking incl. flights)

What's not included

Travel insurance

Single accommodation (available on request)

Visas or vaccinations

Accommodation details

Hotels & Camping

You will spend 8 nights in simple hotels with en suite facilities and 5 nights full service camping in very basic sites.

We use tourist class hotels throughout the trip except during the treks where we camp in the national parks. The hotels are simple but comfortable. Please note that although all the hotels are said to have reliable electricity and water, there may be instances in which you experience some gaps in supply; this is more a reflection of life in Madagascar than the standard of the hotel.

During the camping portions, we will be camping in small mobile two-person tents. The camping is full service so the tents will be erected for you. Campsites in the parks in Madagascar usually offer only very basic facilities. You should not expect hot showers, flushing toilets and western standards of cleanliness at some of the places we stay. Some toilets may be long drops. Please come prepared. All camping equipment is provided except sleeping bags.

Single Supplement is available on request and the price is from GBP290.

Essential info

Vaccinations and Visa
Visas are required for entry to Madagascar. 30-day tourist visas may be obtained at the airport on arrival. If obtaining a visa at the airport, you should ensure that an entry stamp is recorded in your passport. The visa fee is currently suspended.
There are no mandatory vaccination requirements. Recommended vaccinations are: Polio, Tetanus, Diphtheria, Typhoid, Hepatitis A. Malaria prophylaxis is essential and we suggest that you seek advice from your GP or travel health clinic about which malaria tablets to take. Dengue fever is a known risk in places visited. It is a tropical viral disease spread by daytime biting mosquitoes. There is currently no vaccine or prophylaxis available for Dengue, and therefore the best form of prevention is to avoid being bitten. We recommend you take the usual precautions to avoid mosquito bites. Holiday style

Madagascar is a rewarding destination with its wealth of flora and fauna, but, before you decide to travel, we would highlight the following issues for you to consider:

Travelling by vehicle in Madagascar can be uncomfortable as some of the road quality varies. Please read our travelling conditions for more information. We do have some longer drives but the diverse scenery more than makes up for time spent on the bus. We break up our road journeys with stops to visit villages, to take photos and to stretch our legs.

Madagascar is one of the world's poorest countries and a degree of flexibility and improvisation is required at times. The tourist infrastructure in Madagascar is still new and some services are limited. It is not unusual for there to be changes to accommodation or internal flights and for this reason, the order of the itinerary (but not the content) may sometimes have to be changed. However, what tourism does exist is of a pleasantly good standard and you may be impressed by the level of services in some of the places we stay.

Moderate/Challenging graded trips are suitable for clients with a good level of fitness. Previous trekking experience is desirable but not vital as long as you are confident of your physical condition. Some of the areas we visit are quite remote and will have basic facilities. Some of the walks in the national parks are uneven and may be slippery underfoot so you need to be comfortable with this. In addition, some of the trekking days are quite long, and at certain times of the year, the heat can make these walks more strenuous.

Eating & drinking

All breakfasts, 5 lunches and 5 dinners included.

The food in Madagascar is generally of a good quality, particularly so at the coast where the seafood is excellent. The cuisine has been strongly influenced by the French and a three-course meal should cost GBP9-13 (approx. USD16-23). A one-course lunch should cost GBP4-6 (approx. USD7-11).

Please allow approx. GBP150 (approx. USD 260) for the meals not included, plus a little more if you enjoy a drink with dinner! Malagasy lager is reasonably priced and easily available. Malagasy wine is also reasonably priced but is not to everyone's taste. It is sometimes possible to get hold of French or South African wine. A delicacy in Madagascar is the various flavoured Rums which are widely sold and very reasonably priced.

Please note that if you eat neither fish nor meat, your food options will be rather limited (i.e. omelette, cheese, pasta, vegetables and rice) on this trip. Breakfasts are usually simple, offering a baguette, jam and coffee or tea. You may wish to bring something to supplement your morning meal (e.g spread, peanut butter etc).

Trip notes

Download the detailed trip notes for everything you could possibly want to know about this trip, including
detailed itinerary and full kit list

Weather & seasonality

Madagascar has a tropical climate with two seasons - rainy and dry. The driest season extends from April to October. It can be cold on the central plateau (including Antananarivo) in the evenings, and in the rainforest areas, so you should bring warm clothes (fleece and waterproof). There is considerable regional variation but coastal areas will normally be very hot and dry. Expect daytime in the shade temperatures up to 38degC from October-December and up to 30degC during April and September.

Gallery

Reviews & community

This is a very full trip and full of interest from the scenery to the wildlife to the people. There is a lot of time spent sitting on the coach, more I think than is spent walking, but looking out at Madagasgar rolling past was never without interest. The accommodation is quite reasonable especially the two nights at the beach resort which was a little paradise. I went September when the country was still needing to green up after the dry winter season but it was still amazingly beautiful and lush in places.

What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

Hard to pick. Seeing lemurs close up in the wild was probably the most expected highlight but also other things that were not actually on the itinery such as the visit to the spiny forest park near Ifaty and the walk to the fishing village at Ifaty were also highlights. The mountain scenery was spectacular and the canyon was an unexpected treat. Opportunities to swim in natural pools.

What did you think of your group leader?

He was good and full of interesting knowledge about Madagascar and attentive but had not had a lot of experience with trekking groups so was not always clear in his briefing about what to expect, what to take etc for the walking.
The local staff were all good and the guides great at finding all sorts of interesting things to see on the walks such as weird insects and had good knowledge of plants, birds etc.

Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

If vegetarian dont expect a particularly good or healthy diet. Take nuts or other snacks.
Make a decision about what flights to get. I went on the Air France flight which was the group flight for this trip and this meant that we lost the first day of the itinery. We got to the hotel about 2am after the long haul flight and rather than having a day to recoup and spend a bit of time in the capital (as in the itinery) it was straight up the next morning for a long day on the bus.
There are lots of opportunities to recharge camera batteries but take lots of memory cards!
It may be a bit obvious to say this but it gets very hot.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

Every day offered something new and fascinating and the variety and diversity of experience on this trips is quite something.

An amazing country and a great way to see it, but some questions around the ethical travel policy in a country where exploitation is so evident and the population so poor.

What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

The people are inspirational - the warmth of the welcome and the generosity of spirit in the rural areas is like nothing i have known. The most idylic point was swimming in the lagoons at the base of the canyon having trekked all day in the heat.

What did you think of your group leader?

He was enthusiastic and tried to help wherever possible. He took good care of us all though I think that at points his communication skills were lacking and there was some tension around understanding details of what it a logistically intensive trip. The trip notes could be better set up to assist with this and some expectation management around availability of water / toilets / electricity may also help to condition some of the less seasoned travellers.

Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

Take as many spare clothes as you can carry to give away. The children do not ask or beg, but they are often running around in rags with bear feet or odd shoes... an old pair of flip flops can be used as anything from footwear to fishing floats... the people waste nothing and are genuinely grateful for anthing you can spare.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

We had an issue with an Air France strike that left us in Tanna 24 hours longer than expected and with no details of connections from CDG back to London - we were completely abandoned by our guide who said we were air Frances responsibility. Becasue we had booked via exodus (as advised at the point of booking) we got NO updates on the fligt status to our email or phones. As the delay was on Sunday we called the out of hourse helpline forExodus who offered absolutely no assistance with regard to infromation on our status not did they offer to try and find out. They only offered to try and assist with paying for a new flight from CDG to london at our own expense and so appeared only to try and capitalise on our distress. I was very disappointed that given the nature of the desitnations you offer that your company was so quick to abandon us. Also note that (though not your fault), the Air France hotel rendered 5 (of 15) of our party bed ridden with a fever and food poisoning for most of our extended stay, an gentleman who had been suffering with prostate problems and had already spent considerable time in a couple of local clinics was also abandoned with us. I am pregnant and mercifully had not touched the food that that poisoned the others so I count myself very lucky.

The other issue is an ethical concern - we had a fantastic team (20) of young men who accompanied our 1st trek - they carried all our food luggae and water for 10s of kilometres. I have two issues with this - Firtsly the guidance on the weight limits for this trek were vague and so many partipants had glass bottles of Rum, litres of coke, ipads, multiple changes of clothes for each day as well as other arguably unecessry items that these poor boys had to carry bear foot over mountains in the heat. The second point is the tip. We had pooled the tip pot at the start and I was staggered to later discover that these porters had received just AR5000 each per day... so a total of £4.30 for each person for 3 days of backbreaking work. For a trip that costs close to £3000 I for one would be MORE than happy to tip more. I appreciate that it is a poor country and this £4.30 may well be comensurate with local wages but i would VERY VERY strongly encourage you to try and set a trend to pay a little more, or perhaps provision for better refreshments for them either at the end point or for them and their family's at home once they retrace the full trek in just half a day upon leaving us.

Exodus Response

We are extremely sorry that Sarah felt abandoned during the Air France air pilot strike that regrettably impacted on her group. It is the responsibility of the airline to re-protect all flights, but nonetheless, our aviation team worked hard to intervene in this instance to confirm that our clients were re-protected and were able to return home as quickly as possible. We have received very good feedback from other Exodus clients whose journeys were affected by the strike and we are disappointed that Sarah’s experience was not so positive. We have spoken to all Exodus staff members who were on duty this weekend and it is unclear who Sarah contacted, but we are very sorry that Sarah’s group fell ill at the hotel that Air France accommodated them at; our aviation manager has raised this with our account manager at Air France. An Exodus staff member has recently returned from this trip without raising any ethical concerns, but we will review this set-up to ensure that this tour is running in line with our Responsible Tourism policy. We hope that Sarah has some great memories of her trip overall - Exodus Customer Services

A breathtaking trip, with the perfect balance of stunning scenery, fascinating wildlife, cultural experiences and wonderful people! Madagascar is a truly unique country with incredibly warm and welcoming people; this two-week itinerary gave a really good glimpse into what makes it so special. I literally loved every second of it.

What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

Impossible to give just one on a trip of such variety; every day had something new and unique. Getting to the top of Peak Boby was a great feeling; catching a rainbow arching over the hills as we drank beer with our feet in the river after our longest day of trekking was magical; dancing round the campfire with the porters under the stars was indescribably special; seeing a stunning sunset over the sea under the palm trees on a white sand beach was gorgeous; catching glimpses of the black-and-white ruffed lemur and the mouse lemur was unexpected; getting up close to the cheeky ring-tailed lemurs was highly entertaining; swimming in spectacular waterfalls was amazing; soaking up the most amazing silent landscapes was breath-taking; being invited into the homes of local villagers was heart-warming; and seeing the smiles and being treated like a celebrity by each and every Madagascan person we met is incomparable.

What did you think of your group leader?

Armel was brilliant! Entertaining, knowledgeable, inspiring, but most of all with an energy and drive to share with us everything he loved about his country, he made sure that every one of us also fell in love with Madagascar!

Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

Don't miss Madagascar, it's the most incredible country with the most incredible people!

Marta’s passion for travel started when she was just 5 years old and was given her first plastic cross-country skis. She went on to become ski instructor, trekked the mountains of Poland, as well as the Alps and Pyrenees. Whilst studying tourism in Poland, she also managed to climb the Tien-Shan in Kazakhstan, kayak Baikal Lake and sail around the Pacific Ocean! Since joining Exodus in 2007, Marta has discovered South America, climbed Kilimanjaro, been on safari in Kenya and Tanzania, and has explored the island of Madagascar. She looks after operations for our Kilimanjaro and East Africa trips.

I first discovered my passion for travel when I was fresh out of university – I spent two months travelling on an overland camping safari in Africa, and was hooked. This continent was definitely my first great love and I have now visited more than ten times: on game drives in the Masai Mara, climbing sand dunes in Namibia, spending an incredible hour with the gorillas in Rwanda, trekking through national parks in Madagascar, sleeping in tents on the shores of Lake Malawi, wine tasting in South Africa, travelling by felucca on the Nile and on an overnight camel trek in Morocco.
However, it was the beauty, the isolation and the vastness of Antarctica which next captured my heart when I got my first taste of Polar travel in 2004. The sight of enormous icebergs floating by the ship, the shades of blue found in different ice formations, and the sound of glaciers calving are all experiences not soon to be forgotten. The sheer numbers and proximity of the wildlife in Antarctica is incredible – I’ve seen a Leopard seal kill a penguin two feet from the zodiac, had whales spy hopping next to the zodiac, and have even seen a penguin take a nap on life jackets!

Questions about your trip

What are my chances of seeing lemurs?

Excellent! Perinet, Mantadia, Isalo & Tsingy Bemahara are all home to many species of lemur. The most common are the Ring Tailed Lemur, the Sifaka & the Indri.

Lyndal Montgomery - Sales

Can I recharge camera batteries at the Madagascar hotels?

All hotels have reliable electricity and a European adaptor is required.

Lyndal Montgomery - Sales

Madagascar articles

Staff member Lyndal Montgomery took a trip to Madagascar recently and you can read her article here.

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